[UPDATE: See this for how to block the amnesty.]

The Senate Republicans have released a set of talking points on the immigration bill that they're getting close to "compromise" on: link.

As a sign of just how bad this is, the person who got the talking points was arch BushBot Hugh Hewitt... and he's refusing to talk them! Instead he calls them "four pages of crap" (link). As previously pointed out, Hewitt is in the "stress the border fence as cover for the amnesty that the GOP leadership wants" camp, and he's upset that the fence has been pared in two, down to just 370 miles.

Let's look at some of the TPs:

1. Republicans insist that border security improvements must be completed before other reforms can occur. Democrats blocked any "triggers" in last year's bill.

As mentioned several times, the triggers in the White House proposal and other bills - and most likely in the current version - only specify planning and funding, not actual measurable improvements. They claim otherwise below, but the Bush administration isn't exactly trustworthy.

Enforcement at the workplace. Republicans are insisting on a meaningful, effective, and workable electronic employment verification system that will prevent employers from hiring illegal workers and eliminate the "magnet" that attracts so many illegal aliens... [from draft]... The bill will create an Electronic Employment Verification System ("EEVS") so only legal workers can get jobs... Once the EEVS is in place (the administration predicts 18 months), illegal aliens without the right to work will find it extremely difficult to gain any legitimate employment... Another Trigger: Republicans also insisted that this new EEVS be fully operational before reforms such as the temporary worker program or status adjustment for illegal aliens occur... ...because of the tough new workplace enforcement mechanisms, they will not be able to be employed in any legitimate business enterprise...

I.e., a national ID card. We already have a pilot program employers can use to verify SSNs, but... it's voluntary. Due to racial profiling - and the inevitable suits - it's not possible to have an effective work authorization program that's split into two parts: one for "guests" and another for citizens. It will either be ineffective (as illegal aliens use SSNs and pretend they're citizens) or it will result in extensive lawsuits (as newly-naturalized citizens with foreign accents are assumed to be illegal aliens).

Merit-based future immigration system and end to "chain migration." Republicans are insisting on eliminating "chain migration" and transforming our immigration system so that all future efforts are focused on attracting those immigrants (and their immediate, nuclear families) who have the combination of job skills, education, and English language proficiency that will make them productive Americans.

I'm absolutely positive the that racial power groups - and the Democrats that they control - will not try to water that down.

The Republicans fail to note that they're thinking in current terms, when they should be thinking of the future. A decade or less from now, those groups that have "virtual veto power" over the Democratic immigration proposals will have vastly more race-based power than they do now. If they're able to control Teddy Kennedy now, imagine what it will be like after they have several million more potential voters ready to take the word of the National Council of The Race or MALDEF. At that point in time, all of the "tough" provisions will be on the chopping block.

A truly temporary worker program. Republicans insist that a temporary worker program be for a limited period of time and not serve as a path to citizenship. Temporary workers must truly be temporary.

As pointed out many times, after a "guest" has their first U.S. citizen child, it will be extremely difficult to deport them when their time is up. And, of course, we're currently being told we have to legalize illegal aliens who've "put down roots in this country". Won't the same line be used about "guests"? Won't the Dems and others go to work to give a "path to citizenship" to "guests"?

Strict limits on processing of illegal aliens. Majority-party Democrats made legalization of illegal aliens a non-negotiable priority, but Republicans refused to allow automatic amnesty or a guaranteed path to citizenship for illegal aliens. Republicans insist that all green card applicants must (1) go to the back of the line behind those who have followed the law, (2) pay higher fines than in last year's bill, (3) pass a criminal background check, (4) show a nearly perfect work history, English proficiency, and familiarity with American civics. If they cannot do so, they will be subject to removal... [from the draft section] Second, Republicans insisted that all illegal aliens seeking permanent residence must get in line behind the legal applicants for permanent residence who did not enter the country illegally. And they must return home to make the formal application.

Past proposals didn't send them to the back of the line, but put them in front of those waiting in foreign countries to come here. And, of course, the line is never-ending: there are always people joining the line, and anyone who joins will inconvenience those behind them, including future applicants for legal immigration. And, of course, it will either take an extremely long time to do background checks of 12 to 20 million people or there will be little checking at all. Past terrorists have tried to game our immigration system, and the same would take place here. The USCIS won't have a fraud management system in place until 2011; before he was apparently "gotten to", the Director of the USCIS said the timeline of the previous Senate bill was not "practical". And, of course, if we're going to do thorough checks that means we're going to be asking foreign countries for their input, something that's extremely problematic. Is Mexico really going to tell us the truth about someone? Does Mexico really have the infrastructure to help us? Are we going to be sending agents to Mexico to check up on whether someone is really who they say they are, and not, for instance, an Islamic extremist who's able to pretend to be a Mexican?

Or, by "criminal background check" do they just mean checking a few databases? If the latter, aren't the chances fairly high that future "Fort Dix Six"-style terrorists would be legalized and thus have an even greater ability to carry out attacks inside the U.S.?

And, of course, the administration that has shown little ability or willingness to deport people from the interior cannot be trusted to deport those who didn't pass the requirements. And, if the requirements are tough enough, many fewer will try to join the program.

And, the last line refers to touchback. Between Luis Gutierrez' peels of laughter, he described how someone would only have to be out of the country for an hour.

Democrats wanted last year's permissive Senate bill, which allowed illegal aliens to jump to the front of the line and did not require illegal aliens to continue to work.

They may indeed mean the actual end of the line (after all the current legal applicants), but see the discussion above: the line is constantly being refreshed with legal applicants.

Republicans have championed greater border enforcement in order to better protect us against terrorist, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal immigration.

On George Bush's watch, thousands of people from "Special Interest" countries - including at least two Hezbollah members - have snuck over the border.

More from the draft section:

Temporary workers must return home after their work period expires. Failure to depart on time will result in criminal penalties and a permanent bar on participating in any U.S. immigration programs, i.e., the worker could never gain an American green card.

Tell me another one. A substantial number of former "guests" will build up and demand citizenship, just as the current illegal aliens are. Let a million Elvira Arellanos bloom!

Due solely to Republican efforts, illegal aliens will not gain an automatic right to stay in this country indefinitely... If Republicans had not fought for these limits, Democrats would have passed an automatic amnesty bill without any of the restrictions that Republicans have now guaranteed.

GOP Pride! Of course, if the GOP were doing their job, they could have blocked this completely. The Bush administration and crooks in the Senate fought tooth and nail for this amnesty, not against it. The Democrats have even explicitly stated that they need GOP support to get the amnesty that the Dems want.

Instead of doing what's in the best interests of the U.S., they're harping on how they were able to restrain the Dems from completely selling out the country. Thanks to the Republicans, it's only a 99% sellout.

[UPDATE: See this for how to block the amnesty.]

UPDATE 2: More cold water here:

In short order, the system will be overwhelmed. Whatever minimal fraud detection and prevention safeguards might be erected won’t last long in the face of hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of applications and petitions to be adjudicated. What that means is the information provided on those applications and petitions, and whatever supporting documents they may have (if any), will essentially be taken at face value... And those names of the applicant aliens...those aliens who, for whatever time period they have been "undocumented" (illegal) in the United States, wherein so very many have procured and utilized false and fraudulent identification documents often in false identities...suddenly the Government will accept as true whatever those applicant aliens tell the Government on those applications and in those interviews. An undocumented alien who procured and used false documents would lie? Well, not when applying for genuine status in the US...right?